Plural voltage divider aggregate



Dec. 29, 1970 A DE ETAL v 3,551,791

PLURAL VOLTAGE DIVIDER AGGREGATE Filed Sept. 10, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1lnven/ors:

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PLURAL VOLTAGE DIVIDER AGGREGATE Filed Sept. 10, 1968 v 4 Sheets-Sheet zIn ven lars:

Dec. 29, 1970 w, LABUDE ETTAL 3,551,791

PLURAL VOLTAGE DIVIDER AGGREGATE Filed Sept. 10, 1968 4 Sheets5heet 5lave/liars: W @559 6M Dec. 29, 1970 v w LABUDE ETAL PLURAL VOLTAGEDIVIDER AGGREGATE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. '10, 1968 lnvenlors:

- HMNW United States Patent 0 U.S. Cl. 323-80 20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A rotary adjusting aggregate for producing selectivelyadjustable operating voltages for the control of tuning elements, suchas variable capacitance diodes, in which voltage memories includevoltage dividers each provided with a rotary gear and positioned atequal angular distances from each other on a common and rotatingsupporting plate. The supporting plate is rotated by a hollow shaft andcan assume any one of a plurality of fixed angular positions. Eachvoltage divider is actuated by a gear. The actuating gear is fixed to anadjusting shaft which is axially displaceable, to thereby engage avoltage divider. The adjusting shaft is carried within the hollow shaft.

The invention relates to a rotor tuning or adjusting aggregate forproducing stored or memorized, selectively adjustable operating voltagesfor control and tuning elements, especially variable capacitance diodes,for use in communciation receivers, particularly broadcasting andtelevision appliances. In the development of such adjustment aggregatesit is known to provide spindle potentiometers on a cylinder shell asvoltage storage and to bring the needed voltage storage into the catchedor locked working position by rotating the cylinder. Furthermore, it isknown to provide on a circular disk radially arranged spindle voltagedividers which may be rotated into the catched working position in thesame manner as the cylinder aggregate. It has also been proposed toattach rotatable voltage dividers on a stationary plate at equal angulardistances and to pick olf each time the required storage or memoryvoltage by means of a concentrically arranged step switch.

The arrangements known or proposed, respectively, are however,relatively expensive and complicated and do not satisfy completely therequirements for as simple as possible operation.

The invention is directed to forming the components for switching on therequired memory voltage and for the adjustment of the same in such amanner that they may be operated as simply as possible, that in asuitable manner they are subordinated to the entire design of theapparatus, and that they fulfill the requirements of shape.

A further object of the invention consists in rendering theconstruction, especially of the voltage divider system, so simple thatit can be manufactured most economically by mass production methods.

It is another object of the invention to design a rotor adjustingaggregate in such a manner that its construction is most stable, compactand reliable in service.

In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to so design arotor adjusting aggregate for supplying memorized, selectivelyadjustable operational voltages for control and adjustment components orelements, especially variable capacitance diodes, in which the voltagememories consist of rotary layer-voltage-dividers arranged at equalangular distances on a common supporting plate and each being providedwith a gear so that the supporting plate of the voltage memory isrotatable by means of a hollow shaft into the catch positions and sothat the gear of the voltage divider being at that time in workingposition can be coupled by axial displacement to an adjustment shaftcommon to all voltage dividers, which is guided in the hollow shaft.

On account of the concentric support of the operating shafts for voltageselection and switching on of voltage, the corresponding operatingelements are coordinated with each other, whereby the operation issimplified and facilitated. The voltage once memorized cannotinadvertently be changed since the slider of the then switchedon voltagedivider is adjustable only after the coupling is engaged.

In a first embodiment of the voltage adjustment device according to thepresent invention, the adjustment shaft is provided with a pinion and aconical surface, which in the uncoupled position of the shaft restsagainst a counter conical part of the hollow shaft, so that theadjustment shaft upon its displacement in axial direction is broughtinto a position parallel to the axis of the hollow shaft whereby anintermediate wheel, pivotable against spring action and meshing with itspinion, is brought into engagement position with the gear of therotating voltage divider which is at that time in an operating orWorking position with respect to certain common contacts.

In a second embodiment of the voltage adjustment device according to thepresent invention, it is proposed to provide the adjusting shaft, whichis axially displaceable and which is concentrically supported in thehollow shaft, with a pinion which is engaged by a rotatably supportedintermediate wheel which on its part is brought by axial displacement ofthe adjusting shaft against spring action into engagement position withthe gear of the rotatable voltage divider then being in workingposition.

In both arrangements fine adjustment of the voltage divider isobtainable by corresponding selection on the gear ratio between thepinion and the gears of the rotatable voltage dividers.

An advantageous feature of the voltage divider system is proposed inaccordance with the present invention, in which the resistance elementsof the rotatable voltage dividers are applied as layer resistancesurfaces and their conducting connections are applied as conductivesilver strips directly on a rotary supporting disk consisting ofinsulating material by known methods such a spraying, printing or thelike. The application of all resistance layers and all conducting silverconnections may be carried out in one operation, whereby the productioncosts are materially lowered. The making of the conducting connectionsmay also be done by known methods of producing printed circuits.

A lowering of the production costs of the voltage divider system isachieved in accordance with a further proposal of the invention therebythat the gear wheel of each rotatable voltage divider is die-cast as onepiece with a shaft extension on both sides of a bearing bore in thesupporting plate in such a manner that it is fixed in axial directionbut is by shrinkage rotatable in the bearing bore with a certainbreaking moment.

According to a further proposal according to the present invention, thehollow shaft is non-rotatably connected with the supporting disk by ahub of synthetic resin diecast into place. Inasmuch as this operationmay be carried out simultaneously with the die-casting of the gearwheels, a further shortening of the manufacturing time of the voltagedivider system is achieved.

For applying the slider to the respective rotor voltage divider it isproposed in accordance with the present invention, to secure the same inthe shaft projection of the gear wheel by means of a bolt, the sliderserving in co- 3 operation with the stationary counter contact aspickoif contact. The collector ring, customarily employed in rotorvoltage dividers, and a special step contact are hereby eliminated.

A hand may also be applied on the same bolt, which hand indicates in acorresponding cutout of the housing of the device the slider position ofthe respective rotor voltage divider then being in the working position.

For switching on the input voltage to the adjusting aggregate, thestarting and final connections of the rotor voltage divider are formedin a first embodiment as switching contacts and are arranged so that thecontacts of the rotor voltage divider then being in working position isapplicable through two stationary counter contacts to the input voltage.In this embodiment at one time one voltage divider only is applied tovoltage, resulting in a relatively small current consumption.

According to a further proposal according to the present invention, thestarting and the end connections of each other and with one sliding ringeach, which pick the input voltage off stationary counter contacts. Inthis arrangement, with switched on receiver, all voltage dividers aresimultaneously applied to voltage so that, upon switching over of thevoltage dividers, a voltage drift, which might be produced by the load,is avoided.

In a third arrangement according to the present invention, the rotorvoltage divider or single groups thereof are connected in series, undergiven conditions with the insertion of fixed resistances, and thesein-series wirings are connected over slide rings in cooperation withstationary counter contacts to the input voltage. In this in-series(wiring each voltage divider is coordinated with one definite fixedpartial range of the total voltage in the confines of which the memoryvoltage is adjustable.

In receivers having more than one receiving range it is desirable, uponswitching-on of a certain voltage memory, to switch on simultaneouslythe range to which this memory belongs. For solving this problem it isproposed, in accordance with the present invention, to provide asynchronously running switching disk on the hollow shaft concentricallywith the suporting disk, the outer margin of said disc consisting ofcircle segments with such radii that the particular group belonging tothe respective circle segment of the rotor voltage divider correspondswith the outer margin to a range switch of the switch position for adefinite receiving range, said range switch being secured to the housingof the aggregate.

As a further feature of the invention, for multiplerange receivers inwhich each voltage memory is assigned to different receiving ranges,rotor bolts and/ or cams are attached to the periphery of the supportingdisk at equal angular distances. Such cams cooperate with a range switchprovided on the aggregates housing and a predetermined receiving rangecan be switched on.

The invention and its details will be more closely explained by means ofthe drawings of different embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a section along a plane extending vertically to the axis ofrotation of a rotor adjustment aggregate having six voltage memories,and is a view along section D-D of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 represents an axial section of this device with a pivotableintermediate wheel;

FIG. 3 shows an axial section of another embodiment of an aggregate withan axially displaceable intermediate wheel;

FIG. 4 shows part of the front elevation of a receiver with theadjustment aggregate of either FIG. 2 or 3;

FIG. 5 is a symbolic representation of the voltage divider of theembodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 6 is a symbolic representation of an aggregate having eight voltagedividers wired parallel to each other; and

FIG. 7 is a symbolic representation of an aggregate having two groups ofvoltage dividers arranged in series.

The adjustment devices according to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 comprise a bushing1, a housing 2 of the aggregate and a hollow shaft 3 of a rotor, shaft 3being supported in bushing 1. This rotor consists of a disk 4 ofinsulating material, including a hub 5 of synthetic material, die-castonto the disc and shaft 3 is nonrotatably connected with hollow shaft 3.Disk 4 is provided with six bores arranged at angular distances of sixtydegrees from one another. Six synthetic resin gear wheels 6 are die-castonto a shaft extension 7 on both sides of the supporting disk 4 so thatthey are axially fixed but, on account of the shrinkage in the bearingbore, are rotatable upon overcoming a certain braking moment. Annularlayer resistance strips 8 are directly applied to the supporting disk 4concentrically to the gear wheels 6 and are connected by conductingsilver webs 9, 10, 11 to contact pins 12, 13. The resistor 14 is appliedbetween the conductor silver strips 9, 10 as affixed basic resistancefor limiting the variation range of the voltage divider. The contactbolt 15 is nonrotatably inserted in a bore of shaft extension 7 and hasattached to it the resilient slide 16.

A contact support 17 having three resilient contacts 18, 19, 20 issecured to the outer wall of housing 2. Contact pair 18, 19 cooperateswith the contact pins 12, 13 of the rotor voltage divider being at agiven time in working position (upper part of FIG. 1) and contact 20 issimultaneously biased against the end of contact bolt 15. Catch roll 21is secured to the housing wall by spring yoke 22, the roll sequentiallyentering into notches 23 of the sup porting disk 4 to thereby determinethe six angular positions of the latter,

In the example of FIG. 2 the adjusting shaft 24 is arranged in hollowshaft 3 of the rotor, shaft 24 being guided in a ring 25 of the hollowshaft and resting in the uncoupled (.rest) position with its conicalpart 26 on the counter conical part 27 of hub 5. A pinion 28 is providedon the forward end of the adjustment shaft and is permanently inengagement with an intermediate wheel 30 rotatably supported on springyoke 29. Upon displacement of adjustment shaft 24 in the direction ofarrow A the conical surface 26 slides on conical surface 27 whereby theadjustment shaft is brought into the axial middle position and theintermediate Wheel 30 is pivoted against the spring action of yoke 29and brought into engagement with the gear wheel 6. In this position ofthe adjustment shaft, the slider 16 of the rotor voltage divider thenbeing in operating position can be fine-sensitively adjusted by knob 31(FIG. 4) which is attached to shaft 24.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the adjustment shaft 24, on whichpinion 28 is secured, is supported in cover plate 47 of the aggregateand concentrically by ring 25 in hollow shaft 3. Shaft 50 ofintermediate wheel 30* is axially displaceable in bearing bushing 48against the force of spring 49, intermediate wheel 30 being in permanentengagement with pinion 28. By displacement of adjustment shaft 24 in thedirection of arrow B, intermediate wheel 30 is brought into engagementwith the particular gear wheel 6 of the rotor voltage divider then beingin working position, the fork spring 51 snapping simultaneously intogroove 52 of adjustment shaft 24 by which the rotor voltage divider maynow be adjusted by turning knob 31 secured to shaft 24.

Hand 33 is placed by bushing 32 on bolt 15 (FIG. 2) and indicates in awindow 34 of the aggregate housing 2 the respective position of theslider. The aggregate is arranged in the appliance so that window 34lies behind a scale arrangement 35 (FIG. 4) on the front wall of whichchannels assigned to the individual voltages are indicated whereby thethen adjusted channel is shown by the hand.

The device should also be employable for receivers having two ranges, inwhich each memory or storage may be assigned to both ranges. For thispurpose six rotary bolts 36 are inserted with a laterally die-cast oncam 37 into the periphery of supporting disk 4 (FIG. 1), the cam beingpivotable by means of a screw driver in overcoming a certain brakingmoment in such a manner about 90" that the middle axis of the camextends either in radial or tangential direction relative to the centerof the aggregate. Range selection switch 38 is arranged on housing 2 insuch a manner that its contact is closed by radially extending cam andthat the switchings required in the device are triggered by magnetswitches or switching diodes. Consequently, depending on the position ofthe cam of the coordinated rotatable bolt 36, each voltage memory orstorage may either be assigned to the one or to the other range.

The range adjustment is effected from the front side of the devicethrough a cut-out 39 (FIG. 4) of its front wall and a passage 40 in theaggregate housing, the then adjusted range being simultaneously shown bythe vertical or horizontal position of the adjustment slot and isreadable on the double scale 35 of the corresponding channel. Note thesymbolic representation of the slot positions at the end of each scale.

Regarding the electrical arrangement of the rotor voltage divider,symbolically shown in FIG. 5 for the example of FIGS, 1, 2 and 3,various embodiments are possible which for the same or similarmechanical design of the individual voltage dividers and of the meansfor adjusting them are adapted to the different requirements and aresymbolically shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 6 shows a wiring of the voltage divider in WhlCl'l at each time allstarting and final connections of the dividers are connected with oneanother and with a slide ring 41, 42 each, to which the input voltagethrough the slide contacts 43, 44 is fed. This arrangement isdistinguished from the first embodiment merely in that when the deviceis switched on, all voltage memories s1multaneously carry voltage.

The electric arrangement of the voltage dlviders of a further embodimentis shown in FIG. 7, in which the individual voltage dividers areconnected in two groups I, II of three or five memories, respectively,and are connected in series with the interposition of constantresistances 45. The two groups are on their part connected in paralleland with the slide contacts 41, 42, which take the input voltage offslide contacts 43, 44. In this arrangement, a small voltage only for apredetermined channel is assigned to each memory, within which thememorized voltage is adjustable for equalizing tolerances and forsubsequent tuning of the receiver. I

Herein the two memory groups I, II are assigned to two differentreceiving ranges. Upon switching on of one memory of group II thecontact of range switch 38 is closed by the margin of switch disk 46 inthe same manner as by the radially adjusted cam 37 of the first exampleof the range appertaining to it by subsequent, not illustrated,switching means.

While there have been described what at present are believed to be thepreferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the inventon, and it is aimed, therefore,to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications asfall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotor adjusting aggregate adapted to selectively adjust voltagefor control and tuning components, a plurality of voltage memories eachcomprising a rotor-layervoltage-divider and a gear wheel, a commonsupporting plate, said voltage-divider being attached to said plate atequal angular distances from each other, a stationary supportingstructure, a hollow shaft secured to said plate, means on said structureadapted to support said hollow shaft and said plate rotatably about theaxis of said shaft, means adapted to releasably lock said plate andshaft in a number of different positions relative to said structure,said number of positions being equal to the number of said voltagedividers, an adjusting shaft common to all voltagedividers, meansadapted to guide said adjusting shaft slideably in its axial directionwithin said hollow shaft, a pinion secured to said adjusting shaftoutside of said hollow shaft, means adapted to displace said adjustingshaft and its said pinion in axial direction and thereby to effectselectively meshing of said pinion with said gear wheel of one of saidvoltage-dividers.

2. Adjustment aggregate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustingshaft is provided near said pinion with a portion presenting an outerconical surface and said hollow shaft with a portion presenting an innerconical surface of larger diameter than and in the same longitudinalregion as said outer conical surface, spring means, adapted to keep saidsurfaces in contact with one another, said means which are adapted toguide said adjusting shaft slideably within said hollow shaft, beingarranged at a distance in an axial direction of said shaft from saidconical surfaces and being additionally adapted to permit pivotalmovement of said adjusting shaft relative to said hollow shaft, saidadjusting shaft being pivoted with its said pinion into engagement withone of said gear wheels upon its displacement in axial directionrelative to said hollow shaft.

3. Adjusting aggregate, as claimed in claim 2, wherein an intermediategear wheel is kept in permanent engagement by said spring means withsaid pinion and wherein displacement of said adjusting shaft and pinionis adapted to bring said intermediate wheel selectively into engagementwith one of said voltage-divider gears.

4. In an adjusting aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, an intermediategear wheel, means adapted to support said intermediate wheel rotatablyand axially displaceable relative to said voltage-divider gear andaxially movable and in permanent engagement with said pinion, springmeans adapted to urge said intermediate wheel into a position ofdisengagement with said voltage divider gear so that axial movement ofsaid adjusting shaft and pinion with said intermediate wheel inovercoming the bias of said spring means establishes driving connectionbetween said adjusting shaft and said voltage-divider gear.

5. Aggregate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voltage memories areformed as resistance layers and connecting means for said surfaces areformed as conductor silver strips applied directly on said supportingplate, said plate consisting of insulating material.

6. Aggregate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gear wheels of saidvoltage dividers are die-cast in one piece with a shaft extension onboth sides of a bearing bore provided in said supporting plate, therebyestablishing axial fixation and frictional rotary retention of saidwheels in said plate.

7. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporting plate andsaid hollow shaft are rigidly interconnected by a synthetic resin hubdie-cast between them.

8. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein an extension is providedon said voltage-divider gear, a contact slide is rotatably secured insaid extension by a bolt, and a pickolf contact element engages saidbolt and is supported by said supporting structure.

9. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 8, wherein an indicator hand issecured to said bolt of each voltage-divider, a wall of said supportingstructure is arranged in front of said hand, and said wall defines awindow opening permitting observation of said hand.

10. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein input and output taps ofthe rotor-voltage-divider are adapted in operating position to beconnected to counter contacts stationarily held by said supportingstructure, said counter contacts being adapted to be connected to asource of input voltage.

11. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein input taps of saidvoltage dividers are connected with each other and each with a slidering adapted to pick an input voltage off a source of such voltage.

12. Aggregate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein output taps of saidvoltage-dividers are connected with each other and each with a slidering adapted to pick an input voltage off a source of such voltage.

13. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein input taps of individualgroups of said voltage-dividers are connected with each other and eachwith a slide ring adapted to pick an input-voltage off a source of suchvoltage.

14. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein output taps of individualgroups of said voltage-dividers are connected with each other and eachwith a slide ring adapted to pick an input voltage off a source of suchvoltage.

15. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voltage dividers arewired in series and said in-series wiring is adapted to be switched ontoa source of input voltage by means of slide rings coacting withstationary contacts.

16. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 15, wherein constant resistances areinserted between said in-series wired voltage dividers.

17. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, wherein individual groups of saidvoltage dividers are Wired in series and said in-series wirings areadapted to be switched onto a source of input voltage by means of sliderings coacting with stationary contacts.

18. Aggregate, as claimed in claim 17, wherein constant resistances areinserted between said groups of said inseries wired voltage dividers.

19. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, adapted to be used in receivershaving more than one receiving range, said aggregate having a switchingdisc concentrically secured to said hollow shaft and adapted to movesynchronously with said supporting plate, said switching disc having anouter margin presenting circle segments of such radii as to adapt agroup of voltage dividers appertaining to each one of said segements incooperation with a range switch secured to said supporting structure tobe assigned to the switch position of a predetermined receiving range.

20. Aggregrate, as claimed in claim 1, adapted to be used in receivershaving several receiving ranges, said aggregate having pivotable boltssecured on the periphery of said supporting plate at angular distancesequalling the distances of the voltage dividers, said bolts eachcarrying a cam, said cams in one of their positions being adapted tocoact with a range switch supported by said supporting structure so asto switch on a predetermined receiving range for the voltage-dividerbeing in operating position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1936 Kalencik 33876X 8/1963Shelley et a1. 338131X US. Cl. X.R.

